Notes from a beginning gardener with sprinkles of poetry and philosophic musings

Thursday, September 15, 2016

GBBD: Summer's End

Summer is winding down, and I, for one, will be happy to have an end to the relentless heat of this past season. The days are getting shorter, and on some days you can feel a crispness in the air, the first hints of autumn approaching.

While I will miss the explosion of color that was summer in my garden, there is still much to enjoy about the garden. A few coneflowers still bloom here and there, but most are now dried seedheads, a tasty treat for all the goldfinches.

Blackberry lilies are no longer blooming, but their seedheads are every bit as delightful to look at.

Walking around the garden, one can see that not everything has finished blooming, however. The 'Limelight' Hydrangea is in all its fall glory, reaching up to the rooftop once again, despite a pretty good pruning this spring.

I just love these big blooms!

Nearby, the Turtleheads are also blooming.

Also in the shade garden, the hardy begonia (name forgotten) is also blooming. I bought this plant for its foliage and was so happy it survived the winter here, so the tiny blooms are a bonus surprise.

It pays to looks closely or you will miss some other surprises as well. Apparently, this little gnome thought I needed some help weeding (and yes, I do). I have no idea where this little rake came from--garden fairies, perhaps??

In the sidewalk garden, 'Senorita Rosalita' Cleome is flourishing. I've planted this annual in pots the past two years, and it's never done well. Obviously, it likes being planted in the ground much better--and all the rain this summer no doubt helped as well.

Lavender is beginning to bloom again. This is the first year I've had success with lavender surviving the winter, and I hope it continues to do well.

In the Arbor Bed, the berries on the Beautyberry are beginning to turn.

Fall is the time for grasses to really shine, and 'Morning Light' Miscanthus is putting on quite a show.

Goldenrod is also popping up everywhere. I usually pull most of it from the Arbor Bed, but I missed this one, and I think it complements the zinnias nicely. More on those zinnias later...

In the little Butterfly Garden, the sneezeweed Helenium 'Autumnale' has been blooming

for several weeks.

And, of course, the Obedient Plant is making its annual appearance. A few asters are just beginning to bloom, and soon the butterfly garden will be full of asters and goldenrod as well.

So many of my container plantings are looking pretty sad these days. Coleus and begonias are still looking great, but the petunias are pretty pathetic--time to hit the local nursery for some new cool-weather annuals. However, there are other annuals planted in the garden that are doing very well, including one of my all-time favorites 'Victoria Blue' Salvia.

The Lantana are also doing well and finally spreading out. The only problem this year is that they are often hidden by some taller volunteers, like the Rudbeckia Triloba.

A few Cosmos are also finally blooming, though not nearly as many as I had hoped.

A new annual I planted this year is finally blooming as well--Tithonia, or Mexican Sunflower. I've admired these bright orange blooms on Jason's blog for several years, so I finally started some seeds this spring. The only problem is that I didn't realize how tall they would get! Next year I'll find a better spot for these 4-6' pollinator magnets.

Also in the Arbor Bed, Nicotania is still blooming here and there. These are all volunteers--from seeds planted over five years ago! I started to pull most of these out one day, until I noticed a hummingbird moth sipping nectar from them. Of course, I didn't have my camera handy, but I was mesmerized by this creature and its long proboscis. I haven't seen it in a couple of weeks, but I'm leaving the Nicotania for now, just in case it returns.

Of all the late annuals, though, the most colorful and most abundant in my garden are the zinnias. These old-fashioned favorites have to be one of the easiest annuals to grow. I direct sowed seeds from Renee's Garden and Botanical Interests (though which ones are which, I don't remember), and some of them have grown to 4 1/2 feet tall. Though only pink ones are shown here, there are blooms in orange, reds, and purples as well.

When it comes to attracting butterflies, you can't beat zinnias. And although they aren't particular, the pollinators do seem to love my 'Zowie Yellow Flame' zinnias in particular.

On a recent afternoon, the 'Zowie's' were covered with all kinds of butterflies.

The colors of the 'Zowie's' are almost a perfect match for Monarchs,

but Swallowtails make a nice contrast, too.

It's a good thing I planted lots of these zinnias this year, enough for a crowd!

Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting this monthly meeting of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and giving me the incentive to keep a monthly record of what is blooming in my garden.

I always admire your zinnias. I get all stirred up to plant some when I see your pictures yet I never seem to get them planted. Next year I intend to do this. Especially Zowie. What a butterfly magnet. Happy GBBD.

Oh, Rose - I love all your butterfly photos! Beautiful! Limelight is amazing - I only have room for its little sister 'Little Lime' - if that! Bummed to see that Little Lime is turning pink, and no longer really green at all. The Beauty berry always gives me plant lust... I'm usually relieved when summer comes to an end, but our PNW summer has been unusually tolerable, so now I'm just lamenting that it's coming to an end without me accomplishing all that much this year either. Oh well, there is always next year, right?

Thank you, Anna! I'm not the photographer you are, but the butterflies are usually pretty cooperative for a few photos. I know that feeling about not accomplishing all that much this year--I'm hoping for a long fall so I can catch up:)

So glad you enjoyed the butterfly photos, Cheryl. We didn't have many here until mid-summer, but in the past month I've seen so many. I've been especially happy to see so many Monarchs, which are getting a lot of publicity because of their dwindling numbers. I think more and more people are becoming aware of their plight. 'Limelight' really has gotten huge!

Your garden never ceases to delight and your photos are wonderful. I love your beautyberry. I planted three hydrangeas last spring, including Limelight, and look forward to the day they really do get tall enough to make a good 'friendly fence.'

Thank you, Pat! I remember the first couple of years I started gardening and realized I had very little blooming by the end of the summer. I am happy to say I've remedied that in the past few years. 'Limelight' takes a few years, but it certainly can get tall enough to be a "fence."

Hydrangeas are one of my favorites, Maggie, and they do look pretty even into winter. I found out a few days ago my husband was the one who put the "rake" there--it's actually a back scratcher, he told me:)

Hi, Rose! beautiful garden, despite autumn came. Love your zinnias, you write it's easy to grow. maybe, but not for me :) They don't grow well in my garden perhaps of peat soil or a little sunny hot days, who knows. I love them very much.All butterflies are so pretty, they love colorful flowers.

It certainly doesn't feel like autumn here yet, Nadezda. We've had days in the 90's this week--I don't know what that is in Centigrade, but it's hot! I'm glad the zinnias do well here, because they provide some late summer color. I am enjoying the butterflies!

Thanks for sharing your beautiful shots of the butterflies! I've tried Tithonia in the past, but the summer I tried them from seed, it didn't really get hot enough for them. I might try again next year. I really should try Zinnias too.

Glad you enjoyed the butterfly photos, Alison. This was the first year I planted Tithonia after seeing it on Jason's blog for so long. I need to find a better place for it next year where it can spread out more.

I hadn't realized that summer was over until you drew my attention to it with these lovely photos. It's so hot and muggy in Maine and I've been working too many hours to enjoy life outside. Thanks for this virtual break!

Those zinnia's are gorgeous but so to is the hydrangea ... you have some lovely plants and flowers that can be enjoyed as the summer turns to Autumn.Every garden should have some gnomes and fairies - they always make me smile and I do love this gnomes rake!

I think I need to plant some Zinnas! I have seen only a few butterflies this year. I saw a hummingbird moth on one of my phlox. They are such amazing creatures. I hope your visitor returns. You post has reminded me of a few plants I still would love to add. The Blackberry lily being one of them. I also have wanted a Beautyberry for awhile.

We didn't have many butterflies, Jennifer, until mid-summer when the coneflowers bloomed. But the past month or so I've seen so many, which makes me happy. I never saw the hummingbird moth again; I wish he would return--I was totally captivated by him.

I like the gnome with the 'garden rake'! Very cute! My nicotiana that I planted three years ago keeps reseeding, too, which I love, especially since they fill in those dry, poor soil areas. And I have a humming bird that comes that loves them too! Your zinnias are so popular - I might have to plant more of those too!

I later discovered that my husband put the rake there, Indie. He's not into gardening at all, and I was surprised he had even noticed there was a gnome there:) I do like the nicotania, too, although one year it was everywhere! Now I pull some of it in the spring if I see it's going to take over.

Fantastic butterfly pictures - especially the skippers. They are really hard to photograph. I love the purple speckles on the Obedient Plant, I have never noticed that before. The Miscanthus, generally not one of my favorite grasses, is really stunning in that picture.

The skippers are a little blurry in that last picture, but I thought it was so cool that three of them all landed on the same blossom! The Miscanthus is 'Morning Light,' which I planted because I was told it was well-behaved. I don't have a lot of grasses, but I think my favorites are the switchgrasses.

I always enjoy seeing your garden so much. I love zinnias and determined to grow some this year in the hostile environment where I try to garden. The grasshoppers got them! I am able to grow lavender and it does survive the winter here, so at least I have something that I love that grows. I can only imagine how wonderful your garden must be.

Hello Rose girl ! I may have to call you the Zinnia Queen ? haha .. I have to give those annuals another try because yours look gorgeous and the extra jewelry of butterflies is even more incentive !Thanks for saying your roses are "wild" too ... this usually would never happen with me or at least not so crazy .. but this year is an exception .. like you , I am hoping for a spurt of energy for SEVERAL days ? with the help of Garden PA .. to get things under control for the coming winter ... brrr ! LOLAll of your plants are looking so pretty going into Fall .. I love the Beauty Berry .. I keep mine in a specific shape so it never gets a chance to get those berries out ..darn !Love seeing your grass ! .. Fall just screams ornamental grasses to me .. thanks for stopping by girl !Take careJoy : )

About Me

I am a "late bloomer" when it comes to gardening. Born and raised on a farm, I have returned to my country roots. Recently retired, I am looking forward to being able to do all the things I always wanted to do but never had enough time. That includes gardening, of course!